Libya is an unfortunate precedent. It’s hard to know how we can get back to the rule of law if our presidents repeatedly get away with illegal wars. Syria doesn’t have oil, but the neocons seem to view the Syrian civil war as an opportunity to start a war against Iran.

“A lot of people are disappointed in the president in terms of this war effort, in terms of the NSA business,” he warned. “This president has got to say, and be honest about it, and say, look, our country today faces enormous crises. We are moving in the wrong direction. …And the reason that we are not moving forward is that we have right-wing extremists who are now controlling the House of Representatives, and this country is never going to go forward unless we end said right-wing rule in the House.”

The president, Sanders insisted, has “got to draw the line in the sand. Not on Syria, but on the class warfare that is going on in America. If he does that, he will wake up people who have given up on the political process.”